How difficult is Meall Garbh?

Meall Garbh carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 17km, 851m of ascent and a 5-8 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: The links between the four Càrn Mairg tops are broad mossy turf and rocky outcrops — straightforward walking, but undulating with persistent re-ascent.

What is Meall Garbh's prominence?

102m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Meall Garbh to the next higher ground.

Where do I park for Meall Garbh?

Most walkers start from NN666483. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.

When is the best time to climb Meall Garbh?

May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Meall Garbh. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.

Is Meall Garbh dog-friendly?

Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.

By Gary

Photo: Doug Lee / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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Munro · Fife & Perthshire

Meall Garbh

Meall Garbh (968m) — "rough hill" — is the central Munro of the Càrn Mairg group above Glen Lyon (this is the Càrn Mairg version, distinct from the Ben Lawers Meall Garbh of similar name). The hill is the second summit reached on the standard four-Munro Invervar horseshoe, with a distinctive boulder-strewn summit area. The connecting ridges to Càrn Gorm (west) and Càrn Mairg (east) cross broad mossy bealachs.

Gaelic: “rounded hill, rough” · Pronunciation: myowl garrav

Quick facts

Height: 967.5m/ 3174ft
Prominence: 102 m
Distance: ~17 km
Ascent: ~851 m
Time: 5–8 hrs
Difficulty: 3 / 5Strenuous
Grid ref: NN647516
Parking: NN666483
Nearest city: Perth· 55km
Dogs: Dogs on lead required near livestockDog-friendly guide ↗

Height and prominence cross-checked against the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY).

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Standard route

Glen Lyon approach 25% · Open hillside 45% · Ridge walk 30%

17km · 851m ascent · 4.8 hrs

See Càrn Gorm or Càrn Mairg for the standard four-Munro Invervar horseshoe round. Meall Garbh is the second summit reached going east from Càrn Gorm, climbed via the broad connecting ridge over the Bealach Coir Iuchanan. The summit boulder marks the high point. Continue east-north-east via Meall a' Bharr (Top) to Càrn Mairg.

Terrain

The links between the four Càrn Mairg tops are broad mossy turf and rocky outcrops — straightforward walking, but undulating with persistent re-ascent. The Meall Garbh summit is unusually bouldery, with the high point marked by a large boulder rather than a built cairn. The bealachs either side are broad and grassy.

In winter

A relatively benign Càrn Mairg group winter Munro. The broad bouldery summit drifts heavily but produces few avalanche-prone slopes. The exposed ridges catch easterly weather. Glen Lyon's narrow road can drift shut in heavy snow. Mobile reception in the glen is decent but disappears on the tops.

Outside the SAIS network. No Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecast covers Meall Garbh. SAIS forecasts six areas only — Northern and Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh, Lochaber, Glencoe and Torridon — and this hill is outside all of them, so there is no avalanche forecast to read for it. In winter, use MWIS Southeastern Highlands ↗ for mountain weather, judge snow stability from first principles, and treat any cornice or wind-loaded slope with extra caution.

Best time of year

Best OK Avoid

Getting there

Glasgow2h 50m
Edinburgh2h 6m

Parking: NN666483

OS maps: OS Landranger 42, OS Landranger 51

Mobile signal: Reasonable signal at Invervar. Signal thins beyond 800m on the Carn Mairg ridge. Store maps ahead of setting off.

Current conditions

Daylight Today

14h 46mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 06:31
Sunset: 19:59
Civil dawn: 05:52
Civil dusk: 20:38

NOAA Solar Calculator · 7 September 2026

Pair with

Curated multi-hill combinations from Meall Garbh.

Classic round
Meall Garbh + Carn Mairg
Meall Garbh as part of the Carn Mairg four-Munro circuit from Invervar in Glen Lyon.
18km · 1300m ascent · 7 hrs

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Around Meall Garbh on the SCOT network

Getting there, basing yourself, and what to do off the hill.

On TripSCOT

station

Getting there: Rannoch station

Rannoch Moor — remote West Highland Line stop; Schiehallion approach via bus

24km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TripSCOT

town

Base yourself in Aberfeldy

Loch Tay base — Ben Lawers, Tarmachan ridge, Birks of Aberfeldy

21km from the hill

tripscot.co.uk

On TasteSCOT

distillery

After the hill: Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy — heart of Dewar's blends; honey-and-heather Highland style

21km from the hill

tastescot.co.uk

Before you go

Hillwalking carries real risk and the responsibility for any day on the hill is yours. Conditions in Scotland change fast and can differ sharply from the forecast — check the weather and the ground before you commit, turn back when the day stops working, and carry map and compass with the ability to use them rather than relying on a phone.

The distance, ascent and time shown on this page are editorial estimates for the usual line, not measurements from a recorded track — that is what the ~ means. Treat them as a rough shape of the day. Your own pace, the conditions and the exact line you take will all move them.

Mountain forecasts: MWIS and the Met Office mountain forecast. Access rights and responsibilities are set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

We check what we publish, but we cannot check the route on the day you walk it. Nothing here is a substitute for your own judgement.

Meall Garbh — common questions

How difficult is Meall Garbh?: Meall Garbh carries a 3/5 (moderately challenging) grade on the OutdoorSCOT scale. Count on about 17km, 851m of ascent and a 5-8 hour day on the standard route. Underfoot: The links between the four Càrn Mairg tops are broad mossy turf and rocky outcrops — straightforward walking, but undulating with persistent re-ascent.
What is Meall Garbh's prominence?: 102m of prominence. That's the vertical drop from the summit to the col that links Meall Garbh to the next higher ground.
Where do I park for Meall Garbh?: Most walkers start from NN666483. Verify the grid reference on an OS map before you set off — space is tight on busy summer weekends.
When is the best time to climb Meall Garbh?: May, June, July, August, September, October give the most reliable conditions on Meall Garbh. Beyond that window the high ground turns wintry: carry full mountain kit, be confident navigating, and check the SAIS avalanche forecast for the area.
Is Meall Garbh dog-friendly?: Yes, but dogs must be kept on a lead — there is livestock or ground-nesting bird interest on the route.
Is there mobile signal on Meall Garbh?: Reasonable signal at Invervar. Signal thins beyond 800m on the Carn Mairg ridge. Store maps ahead of setting off.
Is Meall Garbh safe in winter?: A relatively benign Càrn Mairg group winter Munro. The broad bouldery summit drifts heavily but produces few avalanche-prone slopes. The exposed ridges catch easterly weather. Glen Lyon's narrow road can drift shut in heavy snow. Mobile reception in the glen is decent but disappears on the tops.

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